Minutes To Nadir
by anonymous9728
Summary: No summary.
1. Minutes To Nadir

"Hey."

"Hi."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, on her tiptoes, she launched for a kiss, her nose brushing his as they kissed for a while, feeling his hands cup her cheeks. He had incredibly smooth textured palms, they simply slid along her skin. That much she got used to.

They separated, she immediately intertwined their hands.

"So where were you on Sunday? I waited for you but you never showed up."

"I-I, got caught up with something at home so I couldn't make it, you know how my family is." she replied, immediately disgusted with herself, a maelstrom of guilt pooling in her chest. She hates having to lie to him. Yet it was for a greater cause to keep the ugly truth from him, she didn't have a choice.

"Your family is eccentric," he remarked with a chuckle, sliding an arm around her waist. "Come to think of it, I heard Max was responsible for my sister's nocturnal relentless 3 hour face scrubbing last night. Is that true?" he asked with sarcasm literally dripping from his words.

"Its his explosive ink," she offered, fondly remembering the moment Tara claimed Max wished he had a girl like her. Having taken offence, Max retaliated the only way he knew how.

"So, what do you want to do today?"

"I don't know, we could go watch a movie, or bake cookies together, or we could go to the amusement park, anything, as long its just the two of us." she said, knowing she'd have to sacrifice her time.

"Amusement park it is then."

Phoebe smiled.

xXx

"That was fantastic!"

"I know, right?"

"I had a great time, we should do it again sometime."

"Yeah,"

Cole pulled Phoebe into a kiss, wondering why she seemed hesitant to reciprocate at first. He prolonged the gesture, feeling her move her lips for a while. He pulled back, smiling as he usually does. "Wanna go back to my place?"

Phoebe noticeably faltered, raising her arm to glance at the small diamond, wrist watch inhabiting her feminine wrist. "Sorry, I can't. My father gets paranoid when I'm not home before 8."

He nodded in understanding, focusing his sights on the attractive crystalline watch on her wrist. "Pretty watch, where did you get it?"

When she looked down at the object in discussion attached on her wrist, Link could identify the carefully placed delightful look of content perfectly etched on her face. "My mom bought this for me as an early present for my birthday."

"Its beautiful."

"I know." she whispered looking down at her watch, acknowledging how the subtle rays of sunlight bounced off of it, leaving it sparkling and glistening. She blushed when a certain memory flashed across her mind.

 _For me?_

 _Yes._

 _What is it?_

 _Open it._

 _...Wow!_

 _Stop being weird, its just a watch._

 _Its-its beautiful._

 _Hmph._

 _Thank you. I love it... I love you._

 _Heh._

"Phoebe, you're crying."

At the sound of Cole's voice, she shook her head to dislodge from those memories, wiping away an emotional tear. "Sorry,"

"Its okay, I know what it feels like when someone dear to you gives you something worth tying your heart to."

Phoebe nodded, her guilt suddenly overwhelmed by longing and yearn as she cupped his jaw and tethered to his lips, in a bid of their parting.

"I have to go."

"I love you."

"...love you too."

xXx

"Phoebe..."

"Mom, have you seen Max? I've been looking everywhere for him but I can't find him anywhere."

"I don't think I've seen him today." Barb replied, continuing her relentless stirring. "Did you try Colosso?"

Phoebe sighed. "I doubt he'd tell me. Besides, he's still busy rounding on at that greenhouse."

"He still has a vendetta against you?"

"Apparently."

"Have you tried calling Max?"

"Off."

"Maybe he's busy with something important, like performing with his band, or hanging out with his friends at Splatburger."

Phoebe visibly slumped, sinking into one of the chairs around the kitchen table, brandishing her phone, scrolling down to her brother's name, before entering her gallery to gaze at some pictures she had of him secretly locked in her privacy volt, unconsciously twiddling with her watch.

xXx

Having entered his lair through the window, Max tiredly trudged towards his bed. Unconsciously throwing his shirt off out of habit. With the little energy he had left, he pounced and landed on his bed with a satisfactory sigh escaping his lips. His eye lids adhering to his wishes when they made to close, only to flinch when a palm pressed against his chest.

"Hey."

He grumbled, too tired to verbalize anything coherent at the moment but didn't complain when her bare chest snuggled against his back. Her lips moved to kiss the back of his neck. He felt the tingle of an impulse down his spine. That was a soft spot. And she was exploiting it rather well.

Of course, by now he was certain she wouldn't leave him alone unless he said something or indulged in her affection. But God was he tired. He flinched again when her lips grazed that tiny secluded area behind his ear.

"Pheebs-"

"I know." she interrupted. His labored breathing indicated just how tired he was. And she wouldn't rob him of his rest. She nestled her head just above his shoulder, pulling the blue blanket over them.

xXx

When he woke up, life immediately introverted. It always came with a painful realization to him that he still didn't have a girlfriend to call him in the morning and declare her frivolous feelings for him. Including giving him a headache with a bombard of inquiries as to how his day was and all that lovey-dovey crap.

It sounded lame. Yes. But it didn't mean he didn't want it. And as much as he looked down on others' companionship, his heart wasn't made of stone either.

But then came Phoebe. She was different and close to him. But not his girlfriend.

He sighed, his hand moved to invent the nonexistent warmth beside him. He didn't care whether or not she was there and decided to leave when he brushed her intimacy off last night. Which he regretfully was doing occasionally for the past few days.

"Max."

He squinted his eyes to regard her wearing that yellow dress again. But his eyes wandered to the tray in her hands.

Breakfast in bed - a first of many.

"What's this?"

"I figured you'd be too lazy to come upstairs, much less make your own breakfast." she said bluntly, placing the tray on his lap, a ghost smile gracing her lips when she heard him grumble the word 'housewife'.

When her face zoned in, Max made it his task of leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. A gesture of genuine thanks in his books. Not that she complained either. It was getting difficult for her to even get him to display the tiniest of affections.

Phoebe watched him stuff himself with pancakes. He ate like an ogre, probably because she added more of the chocolate toppings.

"I'm, breaking up with Cole."

That surprised him. The folded pancake didn't even reach its destination as he lowered it from his face.

"Why?"

She wanted to point out the fact that he knew why. But resigned, knowing when it came to aspects of relationships, he was rather slow.

"Because I want to be with you," she paused, her other hand playing with the crystalline watch on her wrist. "...and only you."

He sighed. Perhaps she had a problem with their arrangement. But he didn't. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She nodded, placing a hand atop his. "I'm doing this for you, for us."

He slowly shrugged. "I hear you, I'm just saying I don't have a problem with you seeing the guy."

"But I do." she countered swiftly. He wouldn't because Max Thunderman never resorts to emotional sentiments such as jealousy and proverbial anger. At least not _that_ easily as a normal personal should.

"What brought this on?"

"I can't date two people at the same time Max. I feel guilty. It kills me on the inside when I realise that I'm cheating on the both of you. Its not right."

Miffed, Max slightly tilted his head. Not having looked at it from her perspective. "Come to think of it. Shouldn't I be jealous and stuff like that?"

Phoebe shook her head, but kept her eyes locked onto his. A serene smile spreading over her face, watching him stuff himself. It was actually cute. _He_ was cute. Even more so than Cole. He just doesn't realise it.

"So, what are your plans for today?"

He shrugged, ignoring the shrewd expression she sent him when he sucked the topping off his fingers. "Nothing much. Why?"

Seemingly satisfied with his answer and the fact he just finished his breakfast. Phoebe levitated the tray from his lap and moved to adjust herself before him, guiding both her hands along his jawline and kissed him with sensuous meaning.

"Ah...Pheebs-"

"We couldn't get to do this last night. I'm simply making up for lost time." she said firmly, returning back to her relentless attack on his lips with a slow blush adorning her cheeks, unstrapping the soft knots of her blue dress from the small ring barrel on her chest.

xXx

"You done yet?"

She turned to regard him with a shy, red face for obvious reasons.

They had sex.

Again.

"Y-Yeah," The stammer was involuntary. She couldn't help it. It was who she was. Marooning over the desire of having been intimate with him drove her insane. But she'd curb her devious physiology...for now.

He suddenly smirked. And she decided she liked-no, loved that smirk. "A ponytail, nice." he remarked.

Her face was re-swarmed with heat and scarlet. He just had to embarrass her further didn't he. Probably still finding it amusing at the number of times she _moaned_ his name out beneath him.

"It suits you."

She blinked, looking down at her dress out of habit. "T-Thanks."

He slid his hand into hers. Prompting her to look up at him in surprise. She was fairly certain he was against 'holding hands in public'. But she wouldn't make him acknowledge that tiny, probable mishap and ruin the moment as her hand tightened against his.

She smiled, her love for Max jumping up a few notches further top.

"Let's go."

xXx

Shopping.

Trying out different dresses turned out to be more of a difficult affair. Probably due to her twin's blunt comments in total disapproval with anything she chose.

"How about this one?" she asked, twirling a bit, knowing he had to like this light blue dress. Yet she couldn't find herself unable to fidget under his scrutinizing stare.

"I'm more interested in what you're wearing underneath." he put bluntly, silently snickering when she blushed.

"Max!"

He waved her off with a laugh, but acquiesced to her dormant plea to spare her from embarrassment. "Can you get what you came to buy so we can leave?"

"Okay, I have one last one I want you to look at. I'm sure you're gonna love it."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get on with it."

xXx

Phoebe possessively clung to his arm as they descended down the escalator. Making it her task to send him subtle glances. So far he didn't complain or appear incommodious at the fact he accompanied her to the mall. He was carrying her bags, which more or less contained superseded underwear for the ones she kept losing since he had the habit of keeping possession of them whenever they finished...lovemaking.

She sighed, settling her head against his arm.

"Max."

"Hmm."

"What we're doing is wrong."

"Right, wrong, same difference." he returned with a shrug.

"But at the end of it, being with you," she said in total disregard of the people who'd stare as they reached the lower platform. "...feels so right."

"How soppy. Next thing you know you're balling your eyes out getting my shirt wet and embarrassing yourself in front of all these people."

"...I don't do that."

"You did so." he glanced at her. "At the hospital. Two months ago."

Phoebe stood her ground, suddenly glaring at him.

"You nearly died. Those tears were real. I cried for you-"

"Hey, I was just kidding-"

"No!" Her eyes stung, feeling tears pool in the corners of her eyes. Promptly reminiscent of that dreadful day, the day he was involved in an accident that nearly claimed his life. "Y-You don't get to joke about that!"

She could never forget the way her heart thumped in aggressive fear at the probable prospect of losing him when she saw his lifeless body, drenched with blood being dragged away by the hospital staff on a stretcher.

"You don't know what it felt like... What it felt like when I thought I'd lose you forever, Max." she choked out, openly sobbing as her hands trembled to fix a hold on his shirt.

Max sighed, uneasily. Ignoring the stares as he slid an arm behind her neck, pulling her face into his chest, placing his chin on the top of her head.

"Hey, its alright."

But thinking back, even he thought he was a goner at the time. Mangled beyond recognition to the point he couldn't feel his own body. The pain was unbearable...yet what he found strange was the fact that he wasn't clinging to the thin hope of coming out alive. Instead, he kept thinking about-

"That was the day."

Her voice jerked him out of his musings.

"What?"

He rose a hand to wipe away a lone tear. Frowning when she tethered their hands, leaning in, nearly pressing her invasive chest against his.

"On that day. I made a vow to-"

Max tilted his head to the side. "I'm truly certain I was hearing voices that day."

Phoebe ignored his roundabout sway of rebuke.

"I made a vow to sow the hole in your heart."

He rose an eyebrow in conjunction with a profound deadpan. "Really? Because I remember you pounding on my chest loudly yelling at me to wake up."

"I was worried you'd never open those wonderful eyes." He managed to not physically display any outward reaction to her compliment. "Those beautiful, beautiful brown eyes of yours."

"Phoebe," he warned.

"What? Public affection is normal. That's if you are a spineless sissy afraid to make out with your girlfriend, in the mall."

"You're not my girlfriend. You're Cole's girlfriend. I'm your twin brother."

Phoebe frowned. "So you're doubting my love for you?"

"I'm not-"

"Do you even love me?"

"...Look, can we just-"

Phoebe dropped the word play and instantly captured his lips. Shocking him into a complete standstill. The hold on the bag slightly loosened, nearly dropping to the floor.

Phoebe slowly cocked her head back. Max's eyes were wide.

"Phoebe."

Girl in question merely looked around. True to her words no one paid attention to them. The only onlookers being the ones who showed little to no interest in their affair, afterwards resuming their shopping activities.

"Phoebe..."

Smug was what she exhibited. "See, I told you-"

Max cupped her cheeks and surprised her with a light kiss of his own. Though as diminutive as it was, it certainly was enduring and lengthy. To the point she held onto his frame and magnified their smooch, bodies pressed against one another.

They both, simultaneously retracted, foreheads pressed against each other in disbelief and excite of what they had just committed. In public nonetheless.

Phoebe watched as her own hand slithered to his, sliding her fingers through his, lightly squeezing his hand, meeting his eyes.

"We gave people quite the show." she said, glancing around to be presented to the sight of people not hiding their blatant stares. "How about we get out of here?"

Max glanced around, with a light shrug, guided them toward the exit.

xXx

Usually, nothing in the mall was appealing enough to catch her attention. Whether it be the latest women's accessory or any new brands that came into the market. Probably because everything she purchased was from overseas and was more of finer material and quality than local finesse.

Passing another booth that displayed perfumes and such, she silently sneered to herself and walked past by, seeing the nearby escalator as she employed another turn.

Only to stop as her eager and curious alter picked up what seemed to be a small group of people appearing to be pointing at something rather extravagant and interesting.

Seeing that it wouldn't hurt to investigate for herself, she marched towards the group, stopping next to a short bearded fella with bad acne which somehow made her cringe in disgust. Shaking her head, she appointed her gaze forward.

Only to frown.

She was baited by the dispersing group to actually waste her time to see what had them so bundled up in murmurs. Sure it wasn't everyday you saw a teenage couple make out in public, notwithstanding in the very center of the mall either.

Sucking on her frontal teeth in annoyance. She made to turn while sparing the envious couple a rightful glare.

Only to freeze.

Dismay suddenly bubbling within her chest when she acknowledged just who the girl was. She couldn't be mistaken. It was her! But how could she be kissing another guy when?-

Her hand moved to cover her gaping mouth when the 'alleged' _guy_ exposed his face with a casual flick of his head to the side, before adjusting his hold on the bags he was holding and shortly made to venture towards the nearby exit with the girl firmly latched onto his opposite arm.

A few minutes passed and the couple disappeared through the slide doors marking their leave.

"Oh. My. God." she exclaimed in shock, disgust... and (partial jealousy). Quickly thinking a milestone ahead, her hand slipped into her denim back pocket, brandishing her phone. Curt slides and she was to be seen holding the phone to her ear, hastily chewing on her lower lip, eyes wide with brewing anticipation and remnant shock at what she just witnessed as she impatiently waited on the other end of line to gain reception.

It was a frustrating full minute before she heard a soft voice incorporate coherency into her ear.

"Tara?"

"Bro, you won't believe what I just saw!"

xXx

The bags were carelessly thrown to the floor with Phoebe latching onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist as her hands held his head into place. Max cautiously trudged around the crafting bench with her in his arms as they made for his bed.

Phoebe's upper top of her dress was already a mere tug away of exposing her matching blue bra. Straddling him, Phoebe employed another invigorating kiss as her fingers tightly wormed their way through his hair.

"H-Hey! Ouch!...Pheebs! Watch the hair!" he bit out in pain.

"Sorry." she apologized sheepishly. Hoisting herself up to tug her entire dress over her head, shuddering when Max ran his fingers along her exposed skin. Not long and the binds of her bra were loosened, freeing her large breasts from constriction.

Her twin effortlessly discarded his own long sleeved shirt.

Vehemently flattening her breasts against his broad chest, Phoebe initiated another kiss, the warm bristles from apparent heat around them birthing tingles in all the right places as her tongue slipped into his mouth.

It was terse. And forceful. Eventful. And Delightful. Insanely pleasuring. And mightily monumental. Loving. And inexplicably fundamental.

"Max,"

"Yeah?"

"Can we just do it? I'm getting that funny feeling again and it hurts."

Max smirked. She was easily aroused to the point that just with the accurate fiddles in the right places could lead to her early orgasm before they even went all the way. To many, her particular sensitivity might be a major turn off but it actually wasn't. He loved it. Probably because of the squirming...definitely was the squirming.

He nodded, raising an arm to nudge the lockdown button, enacting the barriers to activate. Regarding her apprehension, he rolled his eyes, subtly shifting a bit, hands behind his head.

"Go ahead. Help yourself."

Not waiting to be told twice. Phoebe pulled his pants down, all the way to his ankles, biting her lips when she saw the sudden twitch of 'something' awakening beneath his boxers.

Max cringed when he felt her soft tooshie gently settle on his thighs, instantly enhancing the puddle uprising of his own arousal. Phoebe blushed, watching in first hand restrained awe as his undergarment formed something akin to a small tent. A tip threatening to shred and pierce the garment.

When Phoebe pulled his boxers down, she licked her lips as his member ladled in a rigid manner, conveying its strength in display for her to see. Kissing him before they both embroiled in pleasure, Phoebe lowered her baby blue underwear, and with just a nudge, they formed a convenient joint of vice pleasure.

xXx

She gasped and fell beside him in an exhausted bodily heap.

"I'm definitely breaking up with Cole."

Not a word came out of Max, his only response being the slight heave of his chest and the caress of her right breast.

"Max?"

"Huh,"

"That was amazing."

"I aim to please."

She giggled into his neck, pointlessly planting a kiss along his jawline, nestling her head on his chest as she rose an arm.

"Remember when you gave me this watch?"

"Yeah,"

"I meant every word I said back then."

"Even though-"

"I don't care about that." she interjected forcefully. "I love you and that's that. Twin brother or not."

"Girls." he mumbled.

They were allowed their own tranquil moment of silence giving them time to reflect on their relationship including the glaring cons, figurative barriers of what they both wanted.

"Hey, what's that?"

"What?"

"Don't you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

Max kept still for a moment, before the incessant vibrations returned.

"I think I feel it too."

Phoebe dug a hand under the sheet, fiddling a bit before feeling the customary shape of her phone. "Its from Cole."

Surprisingly this time, Max was actually displeased at the mention of the blonde. Which Phoebe deduced when the arm around her pulled her closer.

"What does it say?"

"Wait... My phone was on vibration." She kept quiet for a bit. "I missed 37 of his calls for the past 2 hours."

Max rose an eyebrow, before shrugging, levitating the phone out of her grasp and into the small basin. "Forget Campbell."

Phoebe looked surprised, before hefting her head to hover over his, planting a small kiss at the corner of his lips. "You're telling me to ignore my boyfriend?"

"Technically, I'm the boyfriend since I get to be the one who gets intimate with you. In bed." he remarked smartly.

Phoebe rose a playful eyebrow, seemingly pleased with the way things were going on his part as she leaned down and pressed her lips against his, all the while smiling into their fondle.

They were so lost in their intimacy that they didn't acknowledge a sudden vociferation. The second time, the voice returned with a thunderous bang as the lair foundations shook compelling them both to recoil in a startle, clinging to one another to attentively hear their father's distinct voice sounding rather uncharacteristically pissed.

"MAX! PHOEBE! UPSTAIRS! NOW!"


	2. Diving head-in

This explained everything.

He wasn't naïve when it came to their relationship. He was observant of the way she'd try to mask her guilt whenever they were together, or the last minute tendency of consulting her conscience before they kissed - or never showing up to established dates. He snorted bitterly, reminding himself he fell for her every lie. How long had they been together? Could what they have be something more? Did she even love him? The four letter word she continuously spout days on end when they first started dating.

He shook his head, his heart tugged, forcing him to look away from from his sister who scoffed at the piteous display of her heartbroken brother but withheld any snide remarks. She, like her brother was shocked at the discovery.

"She isn't picking up."

It wasn't a question.

He nodded.

"This just makes it more a fact that they have something going on," Tara remarked. "or have had something going on long before you guys hooked up."

Cole's shoulders seemed to slump even further. This was appalling in every sense of the word incest. A taboo. Phoebe was the most levelheaded person he knew yet she goes and...does this. He should have sensed something was up when her behaviour shifted whenever her brother was around. They pretended as if they barely tolerated each other, but that changed into an unknown indifference. She cheated on him, continuously, with her twin brother no less. He bet that crystalline watch she wore was a gift from Max.

"What are you gonna do?" Tara asked. The only solution here was divine confrontation. She really liked Max, as in really liked him, but for him to be involved with his sister, painted a horrid impression of him. When her brother said nothing, she went further. "Do you want to go over there and confront them?"

His back was turned to her so she couldn't really get a read on him. God, she couldn't even imagine what he must be going through. She wondered if she should have kept it to herself until she conjured legitimate evidence, but decided against it since she couldn't help herself. She was fond of her brother, but he was too timid and softhearted for his own good.

"Talk to me."

"Tara..."

"Look, even if you choose to deny it, it happened, okay; Phoebe is seeing you and Max at the same time. There's no way around it. You couldn't have found out anyway, and I bet she was just biding her time until she broke up with either of you...mostly likely you from what I saw." Tara snuck a band of blonde strands behind her ear, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I don't like seeing you like this, bro. I know you really love her but you're a good guy, and you don't deserve her shenanigans."

If it hadn't been Max, Tara would have taken joy in keeping that knowledge to herself - watching as her foolish brother unknowingly sustain a relationship that spelled dishonesty right to its roots just for the sake of getting back at him like the countless times he did to her. Their parents barred her from an allowance and she was still sour about that little fact.

But this was different.

Cole sniffed, wiping his face. "I can't believe she did this to me."

"I think its better I was the one to see it," Tara commented idly, "they looked so into it.."

"Tara, I don't need to hear the details." Cole interrupted, his face still withholding an overt sadness that made him look older. "She's still not picking up my calls.."

"Which means we're only left with one option."

Cole shook his head. "I don't want to see her, not after this, not after what she's done...been-doing behind my back with her brother. Its disgusting."

"I know, but you will have to face her at some point, Cole," Tara replied sternly. "and now is the right time to confront her."

"Why do you even care? You attempted to ruin my relationship with Phoebe before. What do you hope to gain from this? Is it Max, because as far as I'm concerned he's content with Phoebe." Saying that hurt more than he let on, but hid it behind a look of contempt.

Tara glared.

"Listen, you idiot. Phoebe's out there playing you for a fool and you're here balling your eyes out over spilled milk instead of taking it like a man and doing something about it."

"It won't change the fact that her and Max are...doing things they are not supposed to! She would be lifted with the burden of deceit and sail the ship with her brother!"

Tara smirked and crossed her arms. "She may think she's won, but we are Campbells, we're not gonna let them off with a happy ending."

"I think that's already established."

"Not unless we get her into trouble. Max too. Yes. They won't be able to deny it. We'll make sure they don't get away with this." Tara nodded to herself, her eyes lit with the prospect of getting payback on Max after dousing her face with a chunk of explosive ink...among other things.

"What are you talking about?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"I don't follow."

Tara grinned.

"...we tell their parents."


End file.
